I am a huge car audio enthusiast. Ever since my first car back in 1997, I have been trying to push the envelope on what my vehicles can do. My very first car, a 1995 Mustang started out with the most simplistic of sound systems, featuring a floating box for ease of removal, with a couple of 12" subwoofers and just a basic amp. I upgraded the deck, the wires, and all of that, but at the end of the day, it was still your basic sound system.

Since then I have done much more work, including a full car audio system on my competition 2003 Toyota Celica GT-S. I went all out on that car, with custom fiberglass enclosures, custom highlights, and lots of performance to go along with it, including nine 10" subwoofers, and more door speakers than anyone could ever imagine. There were amps all over the place, extra batteries, capacitors, everything. It was definitely the sport compact car audio enthusiast's dream setup.

Ever since then I have been involved in the industry, attending shows, working on comptetition cars, while trying to avoid sinking too much money into my own vehicles, as I have a son to feed now. Regardless, I have managed to create quite the impressive sound system in all three of my vehicles, and plan on doing substantially more into the future.

But the one that comes from all of this, is that I truly do know my car audio. I have tried so many different subwoofers, played around with numerous decks, and seen a large variety of application combinations that have worked and haven't worked. I have touched hundreds of systems in my years, and with that experience, I know what will work and what won't work.

Alpine Type E SWE-1242 Subwoofer
Alpine is definitely one of the biggest brands of subwoofers in my book. They provide a high quality product that is fairly consistent, at a price that is generally extremely competitive, especially in comparison to the generally overpriced Rockford Fosgate.

The Alpine Type-E is one of the lower end subwoofer series that Alpine offers, but even on the lower end of performance, Alpine took some great measures to ensure that these subwoofers were going to hold up and perform for consumers.

Sound Quality
Thanks to 750 watts of peak power, the Alpine Type-E gives a pretty hard hitting sound, especially when purchased in multiples. The great thing about running 750 watts as opposed to something greater, like a 1,000 watt, is that the sound clarity can be substantially improved with a smaller subwoofer, which can respond faster.

The 750 watt design is pretty perfect for most everyone that is looking to just upgrade their car audio system. It gives quite a bit of power than most everyone won't ever use, but it does give a huge power option whenever blowing your neighbors away is something that you just have to take advantage of.

As for the sound clarity, while it's not the best in the world, it does provide great clarity at a low cost, which is something that not all subwoofers can claim. There is a slight bit of distortion from these subwoofers, but it's nothing that can't be overcome with some dynamat in the trunk and some rubberized coating, which can be purchased in an aerosol can and applied to the inside of the box to prevent any rattling of the box.

Durability
As you would expect from any major brand, Alpine has created an excellent subwoofer that will hold up under the craziest of extremes. The subwoofer itself is made out of Kevlar, which is used in the creation of bullet proof vests. The Kevlar ensures that this subwoofer is probably going to be around for as long as your vehicle is. These subs just don't break down as fast as many of the other subwoofers on the market.

Product Details
» 12" 4-ohm subwoofer
» Kevlar®-treated pulp woofer cone with Santoprene rubber surround
» dual oversized Nomex® spiders
» frequency response: 28-1,000 Hz
» power range: 50-250 watts RMS
» peak power: 750 watts
» sensitivity: 89 dB
» top mount depth: 6-1/4"
» sealed box volume: 0.8-1.7 cu. ft.
» Recommended Q-Logic Box Type: 1, 2
» warranty: 1 year

Final Thoughts
If you are looking for budget bass, you really can't do too much better than the Alpine Type E. While they aren't perfect by any means, they are created for those that want power and greater sound quality, without having to spend a great deal of money in the process. Some people really just want bass and in the world of bass, this is definitely a high quality speaker for the price. It's hard to find a better deal on a 750 peak watt subwoofer, especially a speaker that is made by one of the biggest companies in the market. Definitely worth the money, but if you have the money to go bigger, I wouldn't settle for this speaker. This is definitely a great start, but not something for the big time enthusiast.

I would generally recommend this setup for someone that is in high school who wants great bass, but really doesn't have the money to spend on anything more quality or more powerful.

Car Audio/Video Reviews by Richard Ramsey
Kicker Solo Baric L7 Subwoofer
Kicker Solo Baric L5 Subwoofer
Kicker CVR12 Subwoofer
Kicker Comp VR 05CVR84 Subwoofer
Kicker Solo Baric L5 with enclosure
Alpine Type R SWR-1242D Subwoofer
Alpine Type X SWR-1242D Subwoofer
Infinity BASSLINK Subwoofer
Infinity KAPPA PERFECT 12.1 Subwoofer
Rockford Fosgate Punch Stage 3 Subwoofer
Rockford Fosgate Punch Stage 2 Subwoofer

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 75